Thanksgiving in the Midst of Distraction

“There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves.  The teams were playing in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his teammates on the one hand, and distract the Milwaukee batters on the other.  As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, ‘Henry, you’re holding the bat wrong.  You’re supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark.’  Aaron didn’t say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers.  After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, ‘I didn’t come up here to read.’” (Nehemiah, Learning to Lead, J.M. Boice, Revell, 1990, pg. 38)

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, distractions are everywhere and constant.  And this Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons the distractions are everywhere.  The world around us bombards us with covetousness, jealousy, wants instead of needs, and greed, to only name a few.  How are we to battle these distractions and give thanks to our great God?  What does a life of worship of the Lord look like?  What are the consequences of losing sight of the source of all we have and are?

Disciples of Christ are called to live a life of worship in all circumstances and our focus must be fixed and determined towards one goal.  Join us this week as we study God’s Word and discover His call of worship in our lives.

Pushing Us to Our Source

“The first American Thanksgiving didn't occur in 1621 when a group of Pilgrims shared a feast with a group of friendly Indians. The first recorded thanksgiving took place in Virginia more than 11 years earlier, and it wasn't a feast. The winter of 1610 at Jamestown had reduced a group of 409 settlers to 60. The survivors prayed for help, without knowing when or how it might come. When help arrived, in the form of a ship filled with food and supplies from England, a prayer meeting was held to give thanks to God.” (Today in the Word, July, 1990, p. 22.)

It seems strange to talk of Thanksgiving in the middle of a South Dakota winter, but for disciples of Christ our thanks is not given only one day a year.  As with that first group of settlers so long ago, trials push us to give thanks to our God.  Though it may be difficult to find the little joys in the midst or after a trial in life, joys do exist.  Sometimes they are obvious, as with the settlers in the story above, and sometimes they are difficult to find.  But joys do exist and when found they should bring great thanksgiving to the one who provides them.  God!


Over the past several weeks our focus has been on trials, troubles, and tribulations that come upon us in life.  We have seen how the Apostle Paul has responded to trials and what God’s Word has to tell us about why those trials come.  This week will be different.  The passage this week, Acts 28:11-16, teaches us where the trials and troubles of life should push us: to our Source.


May God prepare us this week as we hear the truth of His Word and may that Word mold and shape us.  May we be prayerfully prepared to meet the Spirit of Truth as we gather as His church.